Standing There (Love in the Park 1)

I walk away from the screens and look for somewhere to go, but they’re all outside. “I need to get out of here.”

Katherine comes up to me grabbing hold of my shoulders and looks deep into my eyes, saying, “No, we have to stay.”

“I can’t be here. I’ve been played again.” This time it’s so much worse than my ex-boyfriend cheating on me. I wanted Roman to mean everything he said to me.

“Didn’t you hear what he told you?” she shouts.

“Yeah, and he’s lied to me from the start.”

“Well, hello, you’ve known each other for a whole day. Most people don’t even get more than the first name before fucking like bunnies. They say sex makes women fall faster for a guy that she already crushes on.”

“We didn’t have sex, but we almost did.”

She throws her arms around me in a choking hug. “That’s great. You’ve finally relaxed and wanted to give it up. I mean he’s got some secrets, but they aren’t deal breakers.” I manage to break out of her clutches, and she grins.

“They are for me,” I mutter. I don’t even have confidence in what I’m saying, but it’s scary to believe his intentions were good.

“Don’t you even want to hear what he has to say?” she asks in complete disbelief. That ticks me off. I’ve been through a world of hell over the past five years, and I have the right not to trust someone who let me down in a flash.

“Why? So he can lie some more?” I challenge. I hate that she’s not on my side about this.

“No, so I can tell you the truth.” Roman is standing inside the doorway, his face expressionless.

“Is everything clear?” Katherine asks him. She’s not as freaked as she should be which begs the question, how much of this did she know about and why would she keep it from me? We’re supposed to be best friends, but she appears to be chummy with the guy who claims I’m special to him. They’re both liars. Has she been working with Brent this whole time to keep an eye on me? I know my brother is insanely in love with her even if he won’t admit it, so he’s liable to tell her anything she wanted to know.

Roman steps between us, and Katherine gives him room. “Yes, for the time being. Katherine, I need to talk to Lindsay. Alone. Exit here and go to the room on your left. It’s the study, lock yourself in and don’t leave until I come to get you. Dan and Denver are out there in the hall to keep guard.”

I see a sorrowful nod come from her as she takes a step toward the door. She gives me one half-smile and says, “Okay, I hope you two can work this out.”

“Same here,” he agrees, staring at me. He blows a hard breath, then walks to the wall where the guns are. He hits a code, unlocking the door to put away the guns. He doesn’t put them all away, I notice he still has one tucked in his waistband behind his back. The room is pregnant with growing silence and mounting tension. I want answers, but I’m afraid to ask for them. Whatever is going on, it was never above board. I watch him, pressing his hands against the wall, leaning forward while trying to gather himself. I don’t know what he’s going to say, but it’s better than the silence.

He doesn’t turn around, before he starts talking, “Your brother contacted me over three weeks ago. Two days after our initial phone call and emails, he showed up in my office to talk about what he needed and the importance of it all. He wanted you to have full protection twenty-four hours a day. We rarely take on twenty-four seven personal security, but after reviewing the details of the case, I knew that you would need it. We were almost done with our meeting when I saw your picture for the first time. He had sent me two pictures. The first you were smiling with your family. So fucking beautiful and happy, but it was the second one, the one where you were standing on the beach with wisps of your blonde hair blowing with the wind out of your loose braid.”

He turns around, halting his monolog to approach me. “I fell for you right then and there on the spot. I saw you step over the pain of the past and learn to smile with all of your heart. I knew that I would do all I could to protect you.”

I’m doing the best I can to stop myself from tearing up, but it’s hard to do when I know that I’m in love with this romantic jerk. “Why did you wait to meet me if that’s true?” I need answers because all of this still doesn’t make sense to me. Since I saw him, I couldn’t back away, and yet he claims to have been interested in me for so long without even meeting me.